Geography of natural resources - natural resources and its types.

1. Natural Resources are resources that exist without actions of humankind. Natural
resources refer to the things that exist freely in nature for human use and don’t
necessarily need the action of mankind for their generation or production.
A resource is a substance in the environment that is useful to people is economically
and technologically feasible to access and socially acceptable to use. Resources
include soil, water, food, plants. animals and mineral. -AP Human Geography
Resource is a source of supply, support, or aid, especially one that can be readily
drawn upon when needed. -Dictionary.com
Resources or natural resources are the naturally occurring materials that a human
population, at any given state of economic development and technological
awareness, perceives to be necessary and useful to its economic and material well-
being. -Human Geography by Fellman- Getis- Geti
Natural Resources

2. Types of Natural Resources
1. According to Continual Utility:
On continual utility the resources are divided in to two categories:
Renewable Natural Resources:
Renewable Resource is a resource which can
be used repeatedly and replaced naturally.
They are consistently available regardless of
their use. They can be fairly recovered or
replaced after utilization. This resources are a
part of Earth's natural environment and the
largest components of its ecosphere.
Renewable resource harvesting and use
typically do not produce pollution or
contribute to global warming. The use of
renewable resources is increasing worldwide.
Examples: Renewable Natural Resources
There are various methods of categorizing natural resources, these include source of
origin, stage of development, and by their renewability

3. Non-renewable Natural Resources:
A non-renewable resource is a natural
resource that exists in a fixed amount that
cannot be re-made, re-grown or
regenerated as fast as it is consumed and
used up. It cannot simply be substituted or
recovered once they have been utilized or
destroyed. It either form slowly or do not
naturally form in the environment.
Minerals are the most common resource
included in this category.

4. 2. According to Origin:
The resources can also be classified according to their origin. On the basis of origin, natural
resources may be divided into two types:
(a) Biotic Resources:
Biotic Resources are obtained from biosphere and they have a life. When a resource is living
organism or originated from living organisms, it is known as biotic resource. It is obtained
from the biosphere. Some examples of such type of resources are tree, animal etc.
(b) Abiotic Resources:
When a resource is neither derived from living organism nor living organism, it is termed as
abiotic resource. This resources are composed of nonliving inorganic matter. Mineral and
power resources are also abiotic resources some of which are derived from nature. Some
examples of such type of resources are air, land, water, minerals etc.

5. 3. According to Stage of Development
Considering their stage of development, natural resources may be referred to in the following
ways-
(a) Potential Resources:
Potential resources are those that exist in a region and may be used in the future. For example,
petroleum occurs with sedimentary rocks in various regions, but until the time it is actually
drilled out and put into use, it remains a potential resource.
(b) Actual Resources:
Actual resources are those that have been surveyed, their quantity and quality determined and
are being used in present times. The development of an actual resource, such as wood
processing depends upon the technology available and the cost involved.
(c) Reserve Resources:
The part of an actual resource which can be developed profitably in the future is called a
reserve resource.
(d) Stock Resources:
They are the resources that exist and are known of their existence, but which have not been
exploited or used. They are not used since there is no technology or expertise needed to do so.
An example of these stock in stock is to create hydrogen and oxygen with water.